game console

There hasn't been much news out of OUYA for the last year or so, and Razer's first effort at mobile hardware, the Android TV-powered Forge TV, hasn't exactly been lighting the world on fire either. Would combining forces make either of these products better? Probably not. But according to a recent post on TechCrunch, at least someone thinks it might be a good idea.

TechCrunch reports that premium game accessory maker Razer is interested in purchasing OUYA, or at least what's left of it now that the "mini console" fad has come and gone.

Stop me if you've heard this one before: an ambitious group of hardware creators has an idea for an Android-based gaming console, but they need your help to complete it. Yes, the ZRRO sounds a lot like many other Android set-top boxes that have cropped up over the last few years. But wait, there's more! This one includes a touch-based controller... that works a lot like a remote smartphone. Without the screen.

Amazon has been expanding into just about every possible media sales segment in the last few years, with one notable exception: console-style video games. If a filing with the Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações (read: the Brazilian version of the FCC) can be believed, Amazon is looking to close that gap in its product lineup. A full game controller, with media controls and Android-style navigation buttons, was spotted there by Zatz Not Funny.

Not every Android device gets rooted, but it's always nice when one does. So it is with MOJO, Mad Catz' Android-powered alternative to the OUYA game console and similar fare. Noted developer and modder Paul "MoDaCo" O'Brien released the MoDaCo Mod for MOJO on Sunday, giving adventurous owners access to root-enabled apps. His method requires a Windows, OSX, or Linux computer, and a standard male-to-male USB cable.

As far as root methods go, this one is pretty simple: MoDaCo Mod loads up a custom boot image on the device that automatically installs the SuperUser app when you next turn on the device, instantly giving users access to the superuser permission request dialog.

The concept of playing Android games on a TV is hardly an original premise, with Ouya being by far the most well-known means of doing so to date. Yet that Kickstarter-backed console isn't for everyone, and if you've wanted to get your hands on something packing more power under the hood, then your eyes have probably landed on the Mad Catz M.O.J.O. at some point over the past several months.

The day has finally come, true believers. The OUYA console is real, it's on sale, and you can have one of three online retailers send one to your doorstep. The $100 gaming SoC-in-a-box got its celebrated start on Kickstarter, but as of today you don't need to be among its backers to buy one. The OUYA storefront, Best Buy, and Target are all allowing orders to go through at the moment - Gamestop and Amazon are also retail partners, but the former isn't allowing you to add the item to your cart, while the latter is showing "out of stock."

All the US and Canadian stores list the OUYA at $99.99, while UK gamers can pick it up for the same price in pounds.

As promised, the unit will cost $99 plus shipping ($10 in the U.S., $20 internationally), which includes one controller; additional controllers can be purchased for $30 a pop. You may want to hurry and get that order in, however - the expected deliver has already been pushed back one month, from March to April of 2013.